If you have experience with formal project methods, this is probably not the book for you. New or part-time project managers would benefit from the text, as it discusses most of the touchpoints of project management in easily accessible language. That’s not a small accomplishment, and is complemented by a clear, direct writing style.

The most common tasks in Project (work breakdown structure, resource information, etc ) are covered at a level sufficient to make the reader functional, but not necessarily expert. There are also a number of frustration-saving tips, such as those on where to use fixed dates on tasks.

In addition to the tool-related narratives, there are also chapters on ancillary topics like budgets, reporting and some financial analysis. This should be of great value to the novice PM.

Overall, a good purchase for anyone just starting out in project management.

1 comment so far

I like project management tools for getting projects done and helping with management. What I don’t like is when a manager uses these tools and automatically assumes he’s a project manager. There’s a lot of knowledge that goes into PM. Tools are a great addition, but you need a knowledgeable project manager leading the project to really get the best.